


aishite

by psycho_pomp



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Flashbacks, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, a subconite's body gets torn apart, and the prince gets slapped a couple times, by graphic depictions of violence, child endangerment, figured it was only polite, hurt/implied comfort, i mean that hat kid gets thrown at a tree trunk, so nothing really gory but yknow, the prince/vanessa is solely in the past btw fuck princenessa rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 06:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23466847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psycho_pomp/pseuds/psycho_pomp
Summary: love me i beg, love me i beg, love me i begi'll give you everythingbut in return, but in returni'll make you sharethis hatred i bearit's not enough, you're not enoughjust not enoughbut i won't let you go, ahi'm sorry about this
Relationships: The Prince/Queen Vanessa (A Hat in Time)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 91





	aishite

**Author's Note:**

> lyrics in summary from littlejayneycakes' cover of aishite, aishite, aishite by kikuo

All was as it had been for centuries in Subcon Forest. A thick layer of purple mist hung high above the treetops, blocking out most of the sun’s rays and bathing the land in an eternal twilight. Small humanoids, clad in burlap and cloaked in shadows, roamed the area, their glowing golden eyes cutting through the oppressive darkness like flashlights, whispering secretive schemes to each other. Wild vegetation, curling brambles and glowing mushrooms, clung to every tree and every decrepit, crumbling brick. And from the branches of those trees hung nooses, swaying lazily in the faint breeze, some empty, some… not so much. And at the center of it all, the ancient specter responsible for all of these changes sat in wait for his favorite mortal servant to return.

The Snatcher flipped boredly through his book, barely reading the actual words. He knew how this trial went, he had read “The Evolution Of Execution: A Timeline” two hundred times, easy. He could recite the entire book backwards with his eyes closed. The ghost tossed it aside and slumped down further in his chair, tail flicking back and forth. He wished that kid would get back already so he could cook up some more new, extra-dangerous contracts for her. That was always fun, especially that look on her face when she first checked out a new one. The look of horror and doubt? Priceless! And even better was the looks she’d give him as she got closer and closer to completing his deadly tasks, the determined glint in her eyes to prove his taunts wrong--

“I’m back!” 

Speak of the devil and she shall appear. With a grunt, Hat Kid clambered onto the root snaking down from the Snatcher’s doorstep and stood up straight beside his armchair, hands on her hips. 

“All the contracts you gave me are done!” 

A glowing grin spread across the Snatcher’s face. 

“ **About time, kiddo!** ” 

He took a second to look her over. Her cloak had been singed in more than a few places, her hair was a sweaty, tangled mess, and there was a small cut on her forehead that still looked semi-fresh, but the child practically exuded pride and energy. 

“ **Woof! Looks like you’ve been having fun with those, haven’tcha?** ” 

The Snatcher cackled and Hat Kid stuck her tongue out at him. The phantom rolled his eyes and propped his elbows on an armrest, tail draped across the other.

“ **So, this is the part where you want a reward and some more contracts, right?** ” 

The kiddo shook her head, and Snatcher’s smile shrank a little in surprise. 

“ **Really? You sure, kid?** ” 

“Yep, I’m sure! I already found something that’s pretty cool, I don’t need anything else.” 

“ **Oh yeah? Like what?** ”

Hat Kid crossed her arms and rocked on her heels.

“It’s, like, super secret. Can’t tell you unless you ask nicely.” 

The Snatcher’s smile widened and his eyes narrowed.

“ **Really.** ” 

“Really.”

“ **Alright, alright, fine. But only because it’s against our contract for me to hurt-** ”

“-threaten, extort, manipulate, betray, or kill me, unless it’s part of another contract!”

Hat Kid finished the sentence for him, smiling brightly. What a smug little shit. She was getting so good at this. The Snatcher waved dismissively, still grinning.

“ **Right, right, all that nonsense. So, kid, can I...** **_please_ ** **, see what you found?** ”

He theatrically paused on the ‘please’, making sure to practically spit it out. The kiddo looked so proud of herself.

“Okay! Lemme go get it first! I left it in my spaceship, ‘cause it’s really fancy!”

Before the Snatcher could snark back, the kid turned and jumped back onto the ground before sprinting off, no doubt to grab this supposedly fancy item from her ship. The Snatcher took a minute to ponder what she could’ve possibly found that would be better than one of his rewards. Maybe a taller top hat? Nah, that’d be stupid. A crown? Nah, wasn’t her style. Maybe it was--

“Back again!”

A jade green, gloved hand grabbed onto the lip of the door hole, and time came to a screeching halt.

_“Oh, my prince, you were right! This is so much nicer! The green perfectly compliments your coat, I had no idea you had such a way with colors!”_

_She laughed and twirled about, the pristine fabric glowing emerald in the bright sunlight that filtered in from open windows. She admired the glittering bronze baubles before turning back to her lover, tilting her head with a playful smile on her face._

_“What do you think, my prince? Isn’t it just absolutely radiant?”_

_He grinned broadly and took her hand. He would not mess this up again._

_“Of course, my dearest. It is truly the finest dress in all the land, nearly as beautiful as the one who wears it.”_

_Words chosen carefully, he bent low to kiss the back of her hand, and waited for her response. A giggle, followed by a loving sigh untied the knot of anxiety in his chest, and his smile melted into one of gentle relief._

_She was happy. He was happy. And all was well._

Hat Kid slightly readjusted her wide, excited stance, and her proud beam became a little nervous. Why wasn’t Snatcher saying anything? He was just staring at her and, like, breathing heavily? What the peck was going on?

“Uh, Snatcher? Something wrong?”

“ **Get out.** ”

“Wait, wha-”

“ **GET OUT!** ”

A split-second reflex, Hat Kid swung her umbrella, knocking aside a book thrown with murderous force. She backed away in fear, umbrella still raised defensively. The entirety of the Snatcher’s body bristled with sharp thorns, claws tearing the armchair’s upholstery like wet paper, hands shaking. The air was suddenly warm, thick, heavy with the scent of decaying leaves.

“ ** _GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!!_** ”

Hat Kid scrambled backwards, using a root to stay on her feet, as a two-clawed hand lashed out, slicing through the air an inch from her nose, and slammed into the doorframe, leaving cracks in it’s wake. Hat Kid turned and took off running, an enraged growl and the sound of breaking wood echoing behind her.

The peck was he doing?! This went directly against the rules of their friend contract! Snatcher always bent the rules of their contracts, but never outright broke them! Everything about this was all wrong!

“ ** _GET OUT OF MY FOREST AND DON’T EVER COME BACK, YOU- YOU-_** ”

The rest of his words devolved into nonsensical shrieks. Thinking about this could wait. Running, on the other hand, sounded like a really, really good idea right about now.

“Betcha I could make it.”

“No you couldn’t, nobody can jump the river!”

“Says you! I jumped the stream just last week! They’ll tell you all about it!”

The larger subconite jabbed it’s fingerless hand at the lavender, fox-masked dweller floating beside them. It nodded, causing a few tears to spill over, leaving gray trails on their mask. The smaller subconite huffed and crossed it’s arms.

“Whatever. There’s a big difference between jumping the stream and jumping the river, dummy. But if you wanna fall into freezing cold water, sink, and have to pester the Boss for your third body this month, be my gue-”

A great shriek echoed through the forest, causing all three of them to jump, a distant crash following soon after. The larger subconite backed away from the source of the noise, putting their smaller companion between themselves and the sound. The larger subconite chuckled nervously.

“So, uh, whaddaya think that was?”

The smaller one turned and gave them an unamused look.

“Sounds like Boss. Maybe he found out that you were jumping the stream when you were supposed to be checking the well for ice.”

The larger subconite whimpered, and tore off in the direction of the noises, yelling apologies. The remaining minion snickered, and turned back to the dweller with a sly look in it’s eye.

“Wanna go watch the Boss chew ‘em out?”

The dweller nodded much more enthusiastically than before, more inky liquid trickling from their empty eyeholes. With that, the two headed off after their companion.

Hat Kid hopped to the right, barely avoiding a cluster of dark purple brambles, violently bursting up from the ground in an attempt to wrap themselves around her legs. Just keep running, she just had to keep running, and eventually he’d start laughing at how scared she was, and he’d stop chasing her. A swoosh and a screech rang out, and Hat Kid spared a glance behind her to see the Snatcher phasing out of the ground, lunging at her, claws outstretched and aimed for her throat. On a dime she stopped and ran the other way, causing the ghost to let out another shriek of rage as he landed, phasing back into the ground. Quickly, she grabbed her backpack, beginning to rifle through it, come on come on where was her Sprint Hat--

It all happened in slow motion. Hat Kid digging through her bag, umbrella held in one hand. A circle of purple mist forming around her. Before the reality of the situation could properly set in, a ghostly hand reaching up out of the ground, wrapping it’s razor-sharp claws around her waist, leaving tiny rips in the dress. The hand tightening it’s grip, picking her up, and flinging her with such force that she lost her grip on her backpack and umbrella, directly into a tree trunk.

_She turned her back on him, hair unkempt and fists clenched tightly._

_“What’s wrong with it, my prince? Tell me what is wrong with it, now.”_

_He fumbles for an answer, sweat already beading on the back of his neck._

_“It’s, ah, nothing, my dear, just, just the color-”_

_“Don’t you like teal? I thought you loved teal!”_

_“I- I do like it, just-”_

_“But it’s why you don’t like my dress, you said it yourself!”_

_Her head whipped to face him, her angry tears leaving streaks where it mixed with her makeup, and began to yank off her gloves. He backed away, a hand raised placatingly._

_“T-truly, it’s nothing, my love, I do love teal, it’s just that green has always been-”_

_“Ah. I… I see.”_

_Immediately he clasped his hand over his mouth. He shouldn’t have said that, he should not have said that. Her gaze was a roil of desperation and determination, and it filled him with the deepest terror he’d ever known._

_“Yes, yes I see now, my prince! This dress, it’s IMPERFECT! YOU DON’T LOVE IT, DO YOU?!”_

_“I-”_

_“BUT IF IT’S GREEN, THEN YOU’LL LOVE IT! AND YOU’LL LOVE ME TOO!!”_

_Her mouth twisted into a frightening grin, and she grabbed the hem of her dress._

_It tore easily. Such a delicate and expensive fabric, she’d said. She tore into it with ferocity, leaving almost nothing of it left, pouring her frustration and rage into it’s destruction. Soon, there were only tatters. He whimpered, looking upon the carnage, not sure what to do._

_“There… it’s done. Did that make you happy? Do you love me?”_

_“I- I- y-yes?”_

_Immediately she brightened up with a cheerful smile, squealing with joy, taking his hands in hers._

_“Oh, I knew it would! I love you so much, my prince, I’d do whatever it takes to make you happy!”_

_“But, but, the dress-”_

_“Can be replaced, my prince. I’ll order a new one, in green, just like you said!”_

_He sputtered in surprise._

_“I-I did?”_

_“Of course, dear! I want everything to be perfect for you.”_

_“And you’re sure it’s okay? That you need a new dress because of me?”_

_She laughed, and gave him a peck on the cheek._

_“That dress doesn’t matter, my prince. All that matters to me is you, and making you happy. You do know that, right?”_

_He smiled sheepishly and nodded, and she kissed him again. She was happy now, and she was making him happy, like she said she was, right?_

_She was happy. He was happy._

_And all was well._

It took a few seconds for Hat Kid to regain her bearings, head spinning. Another swoosh, and there was a glow a dozen meters or so in front of her.

"S-Snatch-er?"

" **No more running.** "

He floated closer, grinning wider than she'd ever seen, his ruff solidified into a wreath of curved talons. Hat Kid tried to scoot away, only to be stopped by a burst of pain. Yep, that was definitely gonna leave a mighty bruise.

" **And no more hiding in your manor. Our unfinished business ends here.** "

"Boss? Boss, what are you doing?"

The Snatcher whirled around with a frustrated snarl to face whoever had interrupted him. From behind a tree, a subconite emerged, looking confused. Another, shorter minion was waiting deeper in the forest, along with a purple dweller floating high above them. The taller subconite suddenly perked up.

“Boss, you didn’t tell us you and the newbie were having another fight! I gotta go get the others!”

The Snatcher looked horrified.

“ ** _WHAT?!_ ** **No, you idiot, get everyone away from the area, now! She’s too dangerous to bring anyone close to her!** ”

“But, she’s never hurt anyone that you didn’t tell her to!”

The Snatcher was silent for a few minutes after that, looking nearly emotionless. The subconite took a step towards him.

“Uh, Boss--”

Dark purple brambles erupted from the ground, tangling their thorny branches in a death grip around the subconite’s body, neck, and limbs. The ensnared minion immediately began to struggle and panic, apologizing. The Snatcher slowly floated closer to them, shaking.

“ **Never, hurt anyone?** ”

The quivering increased in intensity, clawed fists clenched tightly.

“ **NEVER** **_HURT ANYONE?_** ”

The subconite whimpered in fear, and the Snatcher exploded, entire body bristling.

“ ** _SHE HURT EVERYONE!! SHE HURT ME, SHE HURT YOU, ALL OF US!_ ** **AND IT SEEMS YOU NEED A REMINDER OF** **_EXACTLY_ ** **WHAT SHE DID TO YOU.** ”

Before the subconite could respond, there was the sound of fast movement, leaves crunching, and fabric ripping, as the entirety of the minion’s burlap body was torn apart, dry leaves and sticks sent flying from the destroyed shell. A red, maskless dweller was shunted from it’s newly-broken body, shaking silently. The Snatcher leaned down close to it, eyes narrowed.

“ ** _Get everyone away from here. Now. That is an order. Capiche?_ **”

The terrified dweller nodded rapidly, and shot off into the woods. Snatcher huffed and turned back to his quarry. He’d always really hated the idea of disciplining the minions, but they’d understand why he had to do it just this one time soon enough. She had to be stopped while she was vulnerable and out in the open, and if he had to get a little mean to make sure she didn’t take any of his minions down with her, then so be it.

The fox-masked dweller turned to it’s subconite companion, shaking in fear and dripping with tears. The subconite looked to it nervously.

“You- you saw that right?”

The dweller nodded, looking at the subconite and then at the Boss and then back to the subconite rapidly. The ragdoll fidgeted with the end of it’s cloak.

“We have to do something, and we have to do it fast. C’mon, we gotta get everyone else.”

The dweller jumped, and rushed at the subconite, looking around in a panic.

“I know, I know! But we can’t just leave the Boss like that! He’s gonna kill the newbie if we don’t calm him down!”

The dweller took one last long look at the Boss, at his razor-sharp ruff, and visibly deflated, before nodding.

“Okay, okay, go to the village and tell everyone what’s happening, you’re faster than me.”

The dweller tilted it’s head, and the subconite clenched the bark tightly.

“I’m gonna go try to get through to him. Don’t worry about me, just go get the others, okay?”

The spirit looked even more nervous than before, a few tears dripping down it’s mask, before nodding hesitantly, and darting off in the direction of Subcon Village.

“ **Now. Where were we?** ”

Hat Kid trembled, back pressed against the tree and unable to move, deprived of her hats and umbrella. The smell of humid, rotting vegetation was suffocating.

“ **Oh, right. This is the part where I finally get you and your evil out of my forest forever.** ”

Ah, peck. So this was really it, huh? She figured she should’ve seen this coming eventually, Snatcher was never shy about how much he despised her and their BFF “deal”. Looks like he finally got sick of humoring her. Hat Kid clenched her eyes shut and held her breath.

“Boss, wait, stop!”

“ **For the love of-** **_WHAT IS IT THIS TIME?!_ **”

Hat Kid opened her eyes. Another subconite was stepping in front of her, it’s stubby little hands raised in a calming gesture. Snatcher jumped, and tried to push himself between her and his minion, but it kept away from him.

“Boss, she’s not going to hurt me! She’s not the Queen!”

What?

“ **What?** ”

“It’s just the kid, Boss. You’re freaking out.”

“ **No, it’s-it’s her! I know it is! I have to take her down, now, while I’ve got a chance!** ”

“The Queen is in her manor, same as she’s always been. That’s the newbie behind me. You’re just a bit confused, Boss, you’re okay.”

Hat Kid looked around in bewilderment. What the _peck_ was going on?! They were talking about Queen Vanessa, that much she knew (she still had nightmares about that creepy mansion, and the creepy old lady that lived in it) but why were they talking about her? That was when she spotted them; hundreds of tiny lights in the darkness, masked and unmasked spirits floating around them. An audience of subconites and dwellers that had come to watch this showdown. And she wasn’t the only one who noticed. Snatcher turned, looking out upon his minions, then turned back to stare at her. He lifted a hand, his claws dulled.

_The slap echoed through the halls of the castle. The prince’s grip tightened on the bouquet as the other hand moved to gently touch his cheek. Oh no. Oh no. Oh, no, no, no, no. He spared a glance at his queen, trying to get a read on her. Nothing. Her eyes were hard, blank, and cold as frosted ice. She spoke in a low tone that dripped with hatred._

_“You never loved me, did you.”_

_His heart skipped a beat and the hair on his neck stood on end. What? What in the world was she talking about? He opened his mouth to express his confusion--_

_A second slap on the other cheek greeted his efforts, even louder and more painful than the first._

_“DON’T EVEN TRY THAT! YOUR LIES AND MIND GAMES WON’T GET YOU OUT OF THIS ONE, PRINCE!!”_

_She growled, glaring daggers at nothing in particular._

_“I saw you out there, getting all lovey-dovey with that florist girl. That PEASANT! Holding her hand, really, AS IF I WOULDN’T FIND OUT?!”_

_She looked at the floor. Her shoulders slumped, and she lifted the prince’s chin with a gloved hand, gazing sadly into his eyes._

_“I thought that I was special to you, my prince. I thought we really meant something.”_

_Oh, oh dear. She had it all wrong. He could still see a glimmer of the woman he loved in there. He had to set this right._

_“My love, you misunderstand, I do love you--”_

_Something hits the prince on the same cheek as last time. He’s honestly not sure if it’s a slap or a punch; it’s loud enough and hurts enough to be either. He’s knocked down by it, whatever it is, and can only stare up at her, his terror only building. How could such a dainty girl be so powerful? She looked down at him, her eyes like ice once more._

_“Must I tell you again that your trickery won’t work on me?”_

_Vanessa’s frown deepened, and she waved a hand. Two of her personal, armored guards filed in at her sides. She pointed at the prince._

_“Take this one to the cellar. Chain him to the wall. And no matter how loud he screams, do not let him down. Understood?”_

_“W-Wait!”_

_The guards grabbed the prince by the arms, lifting him off the ground, and he could only kick hopelessly at thin air._

_“Vanessa, please!”_

_But she does not answer._

_She was not happy._

_Now, neither is he, nor will he be ever again._

_And all was hell._

The Snatcher clenched his fist, shaking, ruff sharpening once more and a musty scent filling the air. The subconite backed away.

“Boss, please--”

The massive ghost backhanded the relatively tiny subconite in one swipe, knocking it aside, but at least showing enough restraint not to tear it to pieces again. He glared at Hat Kid, claws back to pointed blades.

“ **You may be able to fool my minions, but I’ll still know it’s you a mile off,** **_Vanessa._ **”

The Snatcher lifted a ghostly, clawed hand, fully intent on wiping this mistake of the past from his life forever.

Until a dweller rammed itself into the back of his head at full force, knocking him forwards. Fed up, he grabbed the lavender dweller out of the sky, and stared, wide-eyed and enraged, into the eyeholes of it’s fox-like mask.

“ ** _GO! AWAY!_** ”

The crowd of subconites only moved in closer, looking worried, and Snatcher grew even more frantic and angry than before, his entire body visibly shaking with a combination of frustration and terror. He pointed accusingly at them, the dweller held tightly in his other hand.

“ ** _STOP! JUST STOP IT! I’M DOING THIS TO KEEP YOU ALL SAFE, GET AWAY FROM HERE! STAY AWAY FROM HER!!_ **”

“Snatcher, what’s wrong with you?”

The Snatcher froze, and turned around slowly. (when did she find out his new name?) Two subconites were helping her to her feet. (how could they touch her without being frozen?) She stared at him, confused and angry and pained. She wiped a mix of blood and sweat from her forehead, wincing. (but she was always so clean and well-kept?) A subconite brought her her backpack (what?) and umbrella. (no.) Taking her umbrella, (NO.) she leaned heavily on it, using it as a crutch.

“I mean, I knew you didn’t like me, we had a whole thing about this, but we had a contract, dude! We’re supposed to be BFFs!”

The Snatcher stared at the kid for a long time, speechless. His claws grew dull, his ruff softened into fur.

“ **I-** ”

He dove into the ground, phasing through it. For a few moments, the only sound was the rustle of the wind in the grass.

A shrieking wail tore through the entire forest, so that even Queen Vanessa herself heard just the faintest echo of it, and smiled to herself.

The subconites helped Hat Kid back to her ship, taking special care to give the massive, hollowed-out tree at the center of the forest a very wide berth. They asked her if she’d be alright, which she confirmed. Her species was very resilient, and she’d survived a lot worse. They asked her not to wear that dress in Subcon Forest again, which she agreed to, as it was in pretty bad shape anyway, all torn and dirty. And finally, they asked her not to visit for a week or two, just to give the Boss some time to calm down. She let them know she was one step ahead of them.

It was a week before Hat Kid returned to Subcon Forest. She had some questions that she was going to get answers for. One of them was, what the _peck_ was that? Another was, what the peck was _that?_ A third was, _what the peck was that._ She stalked back up to Snatcher’s tree house, back in her regular outfit, and hopped up onto the ghost’s doorstep.

“Snatcher, I’ve got--”

The house was a mess. The ottoman was entirely missing, the glass on the face of the clock was cracked, books were strewn all over the floor, the top half of the chair’s backrest was stained purple, and there were large claw marks along the walls, along with the chunk the Snatcher had taken out of the doorway when he first attacked her. Speaking of, the Snatcher himself was sitting in his chair, reading, just like always. He glanced over at her, and immediately looked back at his book.

“ **Go away.** ”

His voice was a lot… flatter, than it normally was. Hat Kid gulped, and steeled herself.

“No. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me exactly what happened last week.”

He scowled, and ignored her harder.

“ **I don’t have to tell you anything.** ”

The kid marched right up to him, arms crossed.

“I think you do.”

“ **And what makes you think that, kiddo.** ”

She smiled. She got him to call her ‘kiddo’. 

“Because, I believe you’ll find that you broke our contract a week ago. Multiple times, in fact! You’re not supposed to betray me, which you did. And you’re not supposed to hurt me, which you also did! In short?”

She leaned closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“You _owe_ me. Make me consider forgiving you for breaking our contract.”

The Snatcher just looked at her for a bit. Jeez, she was really getting into this contract business, wasn’t she? Maybe it wasn’t normal for a kid to be as ruthless as he was.

...Nah. This kind of stuff was good for her, it was good she was learning early. After all, if he’d learned how to be like this earlier in life, well.

He’d still be alive.

Snatcher sighed dramatically, setting his book down.

“ ** _Fine,_ ** **I** **_guess_ ** **I’ll tell you a bit about it. Sit down, kiddo, because it’s a long story, and I haven’t told it in a while...** ”

**Author's Note:**

> oh boy my first fanfic  
> tell me what u think! im always trying to get better


End file.
